I agree there was enough evidence to charge him, but there also was outrage in the community driving the decision to charge him.
But no, if an officer tells you to do something, that direction is not absolute, or to be followed regardless of future orders.
In this case, the officer asked the man for his license and registration. The man got his registration and handed it to the officer. While the officer was looking at the registration, the man said “I have a gun”. The officer then said “don’t reach for it, then”.
Yes, a person COULD interpret that as “keep doing what you are doing, but don’t reach for the gun”. And the guy apparently said “I’m not”. But he was reaching into a pocket, and his gun was in a pocket. And surprisingly, people who are reaching for a gun to shoot a cop will often say “I’m not reaching for my gun”. It’s what criminals do.
Clearly, the right thing to do in that case is to stop whatever you are doing, and put your hands out. If the officer wanted your license, he isn’t going to SHOOT you because you haven’t grabbed it in the last 10 seconds. He will say “You didn’t give me your license yet”.
The right time to say you have a gun is when the officer first speaks to you. “Give me your license and registration”, answered by “Before I take my hands off the wheel, I am telling you I am a CCW permit holder and have a gun in the car. What would you like me to do”.
I feel like Castille would be alive if, instead of his girlfriend yelling at the cop “he isn’t reaching for his gun”, she had yelled at her boyfriend “stop moving you idiot, he’s pointing a gun at you”.
“I feel like Castille would be alive if, instead of his girlfriend yelling at the cop “he isn’t reaching for his gun”, she had yelled at her boyfriend “stop moving you idiot, he’s pointing a gun at you”.”
Agreed. And as I’ve noted earlier, Castile didn’t help himself by “carrying while stoned”.
And speaking of the GF - have you ever see anything so cold-hearted as her calmly stating in her live-stream that the “cop has killed her boyfriend” - while he is laying there beside her - moaning and obviously still alive? Very odd.